Ice Breakers Guide: Virtual and Office Team Meetings

In this article covers some awesome icebreaker ideas for team meetings that will make your meetings more fun and engaging(both Virtual and Office Meetings).

The Complete Guide to Ice Breakers for Teams Meetings (both Virtual and Office Meetings)

What is an Ice Breaker and Why are they Important in Team meetings?

An ice breaker is a method of starting a conversation that is designed to get people talking and feeling more comfortable.

A good ice breaker is a conversation starter that is designed to get people talking and help them feel more relaxed. It can be a question, an activity, or even an object that is passed around the room. The goal of an ice breaker is to break the ice and get people chatting.

Team meetings are important for the team’s overall productivity. They are a great way to stay in sync, share ideas, and make sure everyone is on the same page. Ice breakers for meetings are important as they are used to create an environment where people can feel safe and open up without fear of judgment. But keep in mind that they should not be too long-winded or difficult because that will put people off and they will end up feeling more uncomfortable than before.

If you're not sure how to get your team energized and excited about their work again. This article is here to help you get your team back on track with some awesome icebreaker ideas for team meetings that will make  your meetings more fun and engaging. 

You may like: 9 Employee Engagement Strategies You Can Implement Today!

How to Choose the Best Ice Breakers That Fit Your Team's Personality ?

  • The first step in choosing the best ice breakers is to assess your team’s personality.    
  • Do they value teamwork or individualism?
  • Do they like to be competitive or cooperative?
  • The next step is to identify what you want to accomplish with the icebreaker. 

Do you want people to know each other better, have fun?

Do you want people to learn something new, be creative?

Do you want your new team to just get talking?

Once you know what you're trying to achieve, it's time to find an activity that will work for your team.

You may like : Strategies for Achieving Management and Leadership Success

6 Best Ice Breakers for your Next Team Meeting

Icebreakers have a long history of helping people get acquainted with one another and break the ice in a fun way. They can be as simple as asking each person in the group to share their favourite food or as complicated as putting together a scavenger hunt for clues that lead people across the company campus.

There are plenty of ways to build rapport with your coworkers without having to break the ice yourself. It's all about finding the right ice breaker that fits your team's personality and using it at the right time.

1) What's in Your Bag? 

Each team member takes turns going around the circle and sharing what they have in their bag with everyone else. If you are a remote team, then you can ask the team members to show their bag or cupboard on a video call.

2) What's on Your Desk? 

 It's important to know that your teammates are not only people you work with, but also people you live with. This quick icebreaker game is a perfect example for the above statement. This is another game that helps teams get acquainted with one another and learn about their coworkers' personalities. The best part is you can have great fun and break the ice with this activity in both office and remote settings.

3) Never Have I Ever Office Edition

It's easy to get stuck in a routine day-to-day work. This game helps to break the monotony and get people talking to each other. Though the game is very close to a famous party game, it is a perfect icebreaker for team meetings.

 It's the team's turn to say something they've never done at work – like getting a colleague's snacks or dozing off in a meeting. This is supposed to be just for fun. Any 'never have I ever' questions that are inappropriate or offensive should be eliminated right away.

 Must read: Never have i ever questions cheat sheet

4) The "What Would You Do If You Weren't Working?" Icebreaker

This can be an interesting question to ask your teammates and get to know them at a more personal level and their goals. You might not get the answer you're looking for, but it can be good for getting to know somebody who might not have much time at home.

5) Team Bingo 

There are many different types of bingo out there to improve team bonding and get teammates more comfortable to share their opinions. For example, create personalized bingo cards with company goals or challenges. You can add in additional rounds if your meetings are long and host the bingo for every 20 to 30 minutes.

If your team is a remote team, you may want to look at How To Play Virtual Bingo Team Building Activity? ( Super Fun and quick to host )

6.  3 Truths 1 Lie Icebreaker 

It is a game where one person starts out by saying three things about themselves, two of which are true and one that is not. The other players have to try to guess which one is the lie. 

This is a great icebreaker for meetings to help teammates get to know one another and understand each other’s personality better.

How to Make Your Meetings More Fun and Engaging?

1. Keep the Meeting Agenda Clear and Concise

Make sure there is no ambiguity about what the meeting is for. A clear agenda is important to make it engaging and successful. The meeting should begin with a brainstorming session on topics that need to be discussed. 

2. Encourage Participation

One of the most important aspects of starting the day with a successful meeting is to get everyone involved. You can encourage participation by having individuals share their thoughts, ideas, or concerns at the beginning of the meeting before you start presenting your agenda. You can make use of above icebreakers for team meetings to encourage everyone’s participation.

3. Make Sure Everyone Has a Chance to Speak

A good leader needs to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable to speak up and share their thoughts. No icebreaker can help to have a successful meeting if leaders can’t  take the time to listen, understand and appreciate different perspectives. The best leaders are open-minded and purposeful about how they listen and give feedback.

4. Have a Facilitator/Leader of the Meeting

Be it short or a long meeting, it's important to have a facilitator who will make sure that the meeting goes smoothly, and that everyone gets a chance to speak. The facilitator also has the power to call for a vote if necessary.

5. Have an Objective or Goal in Mind for the Meeting

There are a variety of objectives when it comes to meetings. Organizations use meetings to review progress, brainstorm ideas and make decisions. Having an objective or goal makes it easier for everyone to stay on the same page and get through the meeting without wasting time.

Conclusion

In order to create a cohesive and productive team, it is important to find ways to break the ice. There are many different icebreakers that you can do, but the above icebreakers for team meetings can be a good start. You can totally customize the above activities according to your team needs with your creativity. 

We hope you begin a new chapter in your team's story by improving team bonds and making every employee feel valued with these awesome Icebreaker Ideas. 

Pro tip: You can make use of quick team building activities to celebrate your team’s accomplishments while reaping other benefits of team building like improved collaboration, communication and trust among colleagues.  

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